Come join us SATURDAY, JUNE 17th at 1:00 P.M. at the LAURENS COUNTY MUSEUM and hear of a fascinating story by Walter B. Curry, Jr. on Lavinia C. Thompson, an enslaved woman who followed her master into battle as a Confederate army cook and was later paid pensions for her involuntary service to the Confederate cause. Lavinia was born on June 3, 1844, in Aiken County.
Dr. Curry is a native of Orangeburg, South Carolina and received a bachelor’s degree in political science from South Carolina State University; earned his graduate degrees in education and
includes a doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Argosy University, Sarasota. In 2018, Dr. Curry launched Renaissance Publications, LLC., a self-publishing company, which publishes books that focuses on African American history through ancestry. Known for his award winning books consisting of stories that covers the lineage of Dr. Curry’s ancestry from slavery, The Civil War, The Reconstruction Era, and family life in Aiken, Barnwell, Orangeburg, and Richland Counties. His books are The Thompson Family: Untold Stories from the Past (1830-1960) and The Awakening: The Seawright-Ellison Family Saga, Vol.1, A Narrative History,
Dr. Curry is also honored to hold the title of Author-In-Residence at the Aiken Center for the Arts that provides learning though exhibits that brings the stories from his books to life. He also has received numerous accolades for his work and service which includes two African American Historical and Genealogy Society book awards; Legislative Resolutions from the South Carolina General Assembly for his significant work in service to African American History and Heritage in South Carolina; Literary Titan Gold Awards; a recipient of the Martha Schofield “Work The Legacy” Award; member of the Inaugural South Carolina State University 40 Under 40; and selected as a 2022 Richland Two School District Black History Month honoree. Dr. Curry also serves as member of the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum Commission, Board of Advisors of the Friends of Charleston National Parks and the South Carolina Arts Directory.
Dr. Curry currently lives in Columbia with his wife, Takiyah S. Curry, and his two sons, Braxton & Braylon
THIS LECTURE IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC